Carment Best (Leader – Law Enforcement, 2019)

June 30, 2020 283 0 0

Chief Carmen Best assumed the role of Chief of Police of the Seattle Police Department on August 13, 2018. Chief Best has served with the Seattle Police Department for 27 years. Most recently, she served as Deputy Chief, overseeing the Patrol Operations, Investigations, and Special Operations Bureaus, as well as the Community Outreach section. Chief Best has completed the Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI National Academy, the Criminal Justice Executive Leadership Academy, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Institute. She holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. Chief Best serves as the Chair of the Human and Civil Rights Committee (HCRC) for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and is on the IACP Board of Directors. She is the Vice-Chair of Exploring for the Learning for Life National Executive Board, and serves on the National Law Enforcement Exploring Committee. She is also co-chair of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF), and a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the National Latino Police Officers Association (NLPOA). Additionally, Chief Best is a board member for United Way of King County, and is the Leadership Council Chair for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Seattle. She serves on the Visit Seattle Advisory Board and is on the St. Jude Advisory Council for Seattle. In 2015, Chief Best received the “Newsmaker of the Year” award from the Seattle Black Press. In 2019, she received the “Vision from the Mountaintop” award from Urban Impact for her commitment to justice and community. She was also awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which recognizes individuals for accomplishments in their field and dedicated contributions to society.